Fat Mom Writing… Professionally?

I’m thinking about submitting an article for the Plus Size Columnist competition for Marie Claire UK. Tess Holliday is judging. Just the fact that she would read something I wrote is a huge deal for me. I love Tess.

She was my first introduction to the body love movement, and her presence in the media changed my life. If I win the competition, I would be a columnist for Marie Claire! Like, actually in print.

Not a lot of people that know me in the “real world” know how much I’ve wanted to be a writer. I have 25 unfinished stories lying around my various computer drives. I have poetry out the wazoo. But my true love, I am beginning to understand, is more autobiographical than fiction.

Me? A real writer??

After I saw the post from Tess, my mother immediately posted it to my facebook page, and said I should do it. I’m thinking this is just confirmation that I should take a stab at it.

Here is the rub. I’m so SCARED! I haven’t entered a writing competition of any sort since high school. I didn’t win, but I did make top ten, and got to go the awards banquet and such. It was a really good experience. But that was a small pond.

In this great big pond of plus size bloggers that I’m sure will be vying for this prize, what sets me apart? What makes my voice any different than the voices that are already out there? I am full of doubt.

Where I do my brainstorming…. Jealous?

Regardless, I think I’m going to enter. I think I have my essay idea, and once the winner is announced, I’ll definitely post the article here. At least I can be self-published right?

Well, any positive thoughts you might have out there for me would be greatly appreciated. I’m doing the scary thing, and going for a dream. Yikes!